36C10D24R0009 0002.docx

5. PROJECT NUMBER (if applicable)

CODE

7. ADMINISTERED BY

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER

CODE

6. ISSUED BY

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NUMBER

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED

PAGE OF PAGES

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED

BPA NO.

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

FACILITY CODE

CODE

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

E. IMPORTANT:

is extended,

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning __________ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY is not extended.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

(REV. 11/2016)

is required to sign this document and return ___________ copies to the issuing office.

is not, A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO:

Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

15C. DATE SIGNED

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER

Contractor

16C. DATE SIGNED

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

STANDARD FORM 30

PREVIOUS EDITION NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.243 (Type or print) (Type or print) (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

(Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (If other than Item 6) (Specify type of modification and authority) such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.)

(If required)

(SEE ITEM 11)

(SEE ITEM 13)

(X)

CHECK

ONE

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

VA

07/23/2024

F36BABD-24-0000126

None 00101 Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Acquisition Directorate 1800 G Street NW Washington DC 20006 00101 Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration Acquisition Directorate 1800 G Street NW Washington DC 20006

36C10D24R0009 07-03-2024

X X X

See CONTINUATION Page X One (1) The purpose of this Amendment is to publish solicitation questions and the Government responses.

a.Proposals are due to the Government by July 31, 2024 12:00 pm (PT).

b.Please see continuation pages for solicitation questions and the Government responses.

c.Government Point of Contact is Contract Specialist Ross Byrne at ross.byrne@va.gov.

There are no other changes to the terms or conditions of this solicitation as result of this Amendment.

Ross Byrne Solicitation 36C10D24R0009 Questions and Government Responses 1.Is 10 point font acceptable for tables, charts, and graphics?

Government Response: Yes

2. Is font smaller than 12 point acceptable for headers/footers?

Government Response: Yes

3. Can Offerors include a cover letter that will be excluded from the page count?

Government Response: Cover letter will be excluded from page count.

4. Will the government be providing a Price Schedule that Offerors are to complete?

Government Response: Please use the B.3 Price/Cost Schedule in the solicitation starting on page 6.

5. Will the government consider removing or decreasing the 70% requirement as it is restrictive and limits the pool of contractors who have similar past performance.

Government Response: The past performance requirement remains.

6. What is the name of the incumbent contractor?

Government Response: There is no contract currently in place.

7. What is the contract number of the incumbent contract?

Government Response: There is no contract currently in place.

8. What is the period of performance for the incumbent contract?

Government Response: There is no contract currently in place.

9. What was the award amount of the incumbent contract?

Government Response: There is no contract currently in place.

10. Which positions are covered under the Service Contract Act?

Government Response: There is no contract currently in place.

11. List the titles of all positions on the contract and annual hours for each.

Government Response: There is no contract currently in place.

12. Which positions require resumes with proposal submission?

Government Response: All key personnel

13. Does the Government expect to receive 13 resumes of Personnel Security Specialists?

Government Response: Yes

14. What are the expected timelines for initiating and completing background investigations for different levels of Public Trust and Sensitive positions?

Government Response: 10 calendar days

15. We request more detail on the information to be captured in the Background Investigations Tracking tool, as it is to be submitted in addition to the monthly report that details the types of background investigation activities that have occurred. (a) What information data fields are to be captured in the Background Investigations Tracking Tool? (b) What are the functionality requirements for this tool? (c) Are there technology requirements for this tool?

Government Response: Requirements as defined in the PWS

16.What are the specific requirements for the internal control log used for accounting and tracking purposes?

17.Please provide an explanation of the type of training the VA will provide the contractors 13+ Personnel Security team on the VA systems such as VA-CABS needed to efficiently perform high levels of background investigations daily.

Government Response: The PWS is very explicit. Please refer to PWS.

18. Are the 9.1 Program Manager, 9.2 Senior HR Specialist, 9.3 Personnel Security Specialists (including the minimum of 13 full-time positions) LCATS all considered Key Personnel? For the 9.2 Senior HR Specialist position, is only one person considered to be Key Personnel?

Government Response: LCATs are not all considered key personnel.

19.Please provide a detailed explanation of the reviewing and initiating of the minimum of 15 cases per day. Include in the explanation if these are initiating 15 new cases or the review of new and current cases at various stages of the background investigation.

Government Response: Requirements as defined in the PWS.

20. Are all 13+ Personnel Security Specialists considered Key Personnel, if not, how many will be considered Key Personnel?

Government Response: All

21. Please provide a detailed explanation of what is included in the evaluation of background investigation requires and supporting document, in your explanation include whether or not resume review are included here.

Government Response: Requirements as defined in the PWS. All key personnel must submit resume.

22. Can table font size and image font size be 8 or 9 font?

Government Response: The government will accept 10

23. Price Schedule. Not clear how to read. Is this hours per FTE or number of items? Is this deliverable-based vs. labor hours?

Government Response: Firm Fixed Price contract – Deliverable based.

24. Will the Program Manager be paid more than the Senior HR Specialist? And will the HR specialist be treated as an SME?

Government Response: You’ll determine part of your proposal.

25. What is the cost for each investigation and who (which LCAT or CLIN) requires the investigation?

Government Response: That’s for the vendor to propose as part of their offer.

26. Why isn't the Gov making this a base + 4?

Government Response: The Government requirement is a base year and one option year.

27. It is indicated that we only need the resume of the PM and not the position in 9.2 or 9.3. What resumes are required?

Government Response: Resumes are required for all personnel who will be assigned contractual duties.

28. Are the 4200 numbers cited for 6.4.1.A and C covering the same number of PDs to be reviewed each year? Are the 3000 classifications listed under B considered separate from the 4200 to be reviewed? And if so, are they new position descriptions?

Government Response: Both are sperate deliverable the quantities will be “up to” those numbers. 250 X 52 is 3000 and 350 X 52 is 4200 potential quantities but everything is subject to actual Government needs.

29. What does the number 120 cover? Total number of classification policies and procedures to be prepared, updated and/or reviewed in one year? Or is it the number of opportunities to review a classification policy or procedure for interpretation and/or guidance to the agency with possible recommendations?

Government Response: This refers to the total number of HR Policies reviewed/drafted/updated. This is not just in the area of Classification, but also other HR areas.

30. Does the quantity of 24 refer to the number of classification training sessions conducted, or does it also include the number of opportunities to provide guidance and hands-on advice to managers?

Government Response: This would include methods of delivery for classification group training, but would not include individual advisory services to managers.

31. Does the agency use an automated classification system or does it have a position description library? Are there standardized pds or are most written specifically for the position?

Government Response: Yes, the Administration uses eClass360, which also serves as a position description repository.

32. In bullet 1 of this section, "Acknowledge recruitment requests received and consult with VBA’s HR staff regarding position requirements", what system will the government use to send recruitment requests for acknowledgement?

Government Response: VBA will send all recruitment request to the vendor via email.

33. Is the hiring surge the 0996 job series?

Government Response: Some (but not all) positions will be in the 0996 series.

34. Will the HR Specialist role be responsible for job analysis through tentative job offer? Job analysis and tentative/official job offers are mentioned in 6.3.1 but not in 6.11.

Government Response:6.3.1 refers to staffing services and job opportunity announcements which are posted on USA Jobs. 6.11 refers to staffing services which is inclusive of job opportunity announcements. Vendors will be responsible for initiating job opportunity announcements once a recruitment request is email through issuing/auditing certificates. VA will issue all tentative and official job offers.

35. Will the Hiring Surge Program Manager be a Key Personnel? It is not a listed role in section 9, but addressed in 6.3.1 "The Contractor shall provide expertise in HR Hiring Surge-related Project Management "

Government Response: Project Management listed in 6.3.1 is inclusive of the Program Manager position listed in section 9.

36. In this section it is listed that HR Admin Support is responsible for providing "4200" of Administrative Support (e.g., case file management, candidate interview scheduling, data entry, etc.). Is that 4200 case file management, interview scheduling, responding to applicant inquiries, or a combination?

Government Response:4,200 is inclusive of all duties outlined in 6.3.3.A.

37. In this section the HR Surge PM deliverable shows "60" deliverables per year. Can the government clarify what the 60 represents?

Government Response: 60 represents the number of potential projects annually.

38. How many positions does VBA expect to hire per year? Based on 5400 background investigations each year, is the expectation to hire 5400 each year?

Government Response: This is dependent upon funding and attrition.

39. One or more selections may be made on each referral list sent to the hiring manager, and 260,000 lists would indicate the agency would hire at least 260,000 in one year. Can the government clarify if the 260,000 cited is estimated APPLICANTS to be reviewed each year, instead of "referral lists" expected to be issued?

Government Response: 260K refers to the number of qualified applicants referred on certificates annually.

40. Please confirm the correct due date for proposal submission. Solicitation SF1449 has 7/23/2024, 3pm PT; whereas, SAM.gov says 7/18/2024, 3pm PT.

Government Response: Please see Amendment 0001. Proposals are now due to the Government on July 31, 2024 12:00 pm (PT).

41. May the Government confirm if resumes are required for the Program Manager only OR if resumes are required for all positions – Program Manager, Senior HR Specialist, and 13 Personnel Security Specialists? Per the PWS Section 9, it states that contractor resumes shall have demonstrated experience in providing support for programs/projects that include education and qualifications outlined in Section 9.1. However, Section 9.1 is for the Program Manager only. Please clarify which resumes should be included with the proposal response.

Government Response: All key personnel

42. The place of performance in the PWS states that most personnel shall perform work at the Contractor’s site. Are the positions listed hybrid or fully remote except for occasional in-person meetings in the DC metro area?

Government Response: This is outlined in section 5.A. and 6.3.1.

43. Is there an incumbent? If so, may the Government please provide the contract number?

Government Response: There is no contract currently in place.

44. May the Government confirm if the Personnel Security Specialists fall under the wage determination?

Government Response: The Service Contract Labor Standards applies to this contract.

45. Will the Government issue GFE i.e. laptops?

Government Response: This is outlined in section 11.

46. Please provide the Pricing Schedule template identified in section E.12 Part IV - Price.

Government Response: Please use the B.3 Price/Cost Schedule in the solicitation starting on page 6.

47. The Government's firm-fixed-price PRICE/COST schedule contains numerous CLINs associated with specific task area deliverables that will require significant and burdensome administrative effort by the Government and the Contractor to monitor and manage. Many of the detailed CLINs associated with deliverables are more typically included as elements of a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) or Acceptable Quality Levels in a Performance Management Plan. Will the Government consider modifying the PRICE/COST schedule to align CLINs with the major task areas included in the Performance Work Statement (e.g., 6.1, 6.2, 6.3) that encompass the delivery of all services and deliverables for each major task area. In conjunction, we suggest that the Government include the management and delivery of all project deliverables as part of a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan for the program.

Government Response: No.

48. Because there is not sufficient information that would enable offerors to determine how to satisfy and bill for several of the deliverables, will the Government consider changing the "Quantity" to "12" and "Unit" to "MO" for the following CLINs (deliverables): X003AB (6.3.2.B Hiring Events) through X005AF (6.5.2.B Technical and Evaluation Duties); X009AA (6.9.1. A Data Translation and Actionable Items) through X009AF (6.9.1.F Evaluation of Technologies and Cloud-Based Communication Support); X020AG (6.10.1.G Evidence Act Business Intelligence Dashboard); X0010AM (6.10.1.L Evidence Gathering and Evaluations); X011AC (6.11.1.C Completed applicant certifications/referral lists)?

Government Response: Schedule and Price schedule will remain as is.

49. For CLINS 1 AC and 1 AD, would the Government consider shifting them to EA?

Government Response: Not needed to change. It’s once a quarter

50. 6.3.1 – Staffing Services: a. The Contractor shall also work with HCS staff and SMEs in analyzing time-to-hire data and generating recurring and ad-hoc reports in USA Staffing to ensure VBA is able to meet the hiring requirements of the PACT Act. Which CLIN is the work part of? If it is Admin Support, can the Government define what is included in a quantity of 1?

Government Response: All deliverables and quantities are defined by section and per price/cost schedule.

51. Further, the Contractor shall identify, participate in, and conduct virtual and in-person Hiring Events and shall travel up to 50% of the time. Please provide the estimate number of hiring events per month for the Base Period and Option Period.

Government Response: Up to 50% monthly travel is required.

52. 6.3.1 – Staffing Services: a. The Contractor shall also work with HCS staff and SMEs in analyzing time-to-hire data and generating recurring and ad-hoc reports in USA Staffing to ensure VBA is able to meet the hiring requirements of the PACT Act. Which CLIN is the work part of? If this is for the Job Opportunity Announcements, will the analysis requirement be identified at the time of individual job opportunity announcement tasking and how long after the job closing will this occur?

Government Response: All deliverables and quantities are defined by section and per price/cost schedule.

53. Deliverable 6.4.1.A Position Classification and Position Management Support - Please clarify the specific activities required for Position Classification and Position Management Support and provide an estimate of total hours of support are required each month.

Government Response: Requires position description review and assistance with development, audits, regular reviews of classified position descriptions, one on one training and advisory services, organizational structure reviews and consultations, development of guidance in the classification arena, review and concurrence on higher level classification guidance. Estimate of total hours of support required per month would be approximately 2,400 hours

54. Deliverable 6.3.1.A Job Opportunity Announcements - is that 600 individual job opportunities being developed or reviewed for the base year?

Government Response: Yes.

55. 6.4.2 – Audits. Please clarify what the COR must review for each audit and provide specific details regarding timeframe for completing the COR review and approval.

Government Response: As defined within the PWS.

56. Deliverable 6.3.2.B Hiring Events - how many hiring events per month is the Government anticipating taking place within the base year?

Government Response: Up to 50% monthly travel is required.

57. Deliverable 6.3.3.A Administrative Support - Please clarify the specific scope anticipated for administrative support. Is the quantity of 4,200 for this task intended to be individual administrative actions as represented by the examples in the PWS? If so, please provide estimate of the average number of hours required for each action.

Government Response: Defined per PWS

58. Deliverable 6.3.4.A Hiring Surge-related Project Management - Please clarify the specific scope of activity for this task area. Is the quantity of 60 per year intended to be the number of surge hiring actions each year?

Government Response: Yes

59. 6.8.1 – Front Office Operations. Can the Government clarify which CLIN includes this support: The Contractor shall support PACT Act activities and administrative support including, but not be limited to, managing and scheduling project management initiatives, developing recommendations for changes, and developing new organization policies and procedures. The Contractor shall also provide administrative support by assisting with program management, perform project control activities, data entry, and other related tasks.

Government Response: Deliverables and CLINS are detailed within the PWS and Price/Cost schedule.

60. 6.10.1 – Evidence-Based Business Management Optimization. The Contractor shall also support the Evidence-Based Program Office in providing support to VBA stakeholders with standard documentation in both VBA’s policymaking and budgeting processes. Can the Government define the types of “standard documentation”?

61. 6.10.1 – Evidence-Based Business Management Optimization. For Deliverable 6.10.1.C – Evidence Act Status Reports (and corresponding CLINs). Can the Government define the purpose and content of the Status Reports?

62. 6.10.1 – Evidence-Based Business Management Optimization. For Deliverable 6.10.1.D – Weekly Internal Meetings and Task Tracking (and corresponding CLINs). Is the Task Tracking referring to the Contractor’s tasks associated with completing deliverables for 6.10.1? If not, can the Government define the tasks the Contractor is tracking?

Government Response: each deliverable pers section is defined in the price cost schedule.

63. 6.10.1 – Evidence-Based Business Management Optimization. For Deliverable 6.10.1.D – Weekly Internal Meetings and Task Tracking (and corresponding CLINs). Can the Government provide an estimated number of “weekly internal meetings”?

For Deliverable 6.10.1.I – VBA Annual Evaluation Plan. The Contractor shall support VBA programmatic evaluation and leadership with providing rapid, ad-hoc programmatic evaluations, ensuring training materials are developed and maintained, and hosting training sessions with stakeholders. The Contractor shall utilize the requirements identified by OMB to ensure that program evaluations are compliant with yearly deliverables. Can the Government clarify if these tasks are associated with CLIN 0010AJ?

64. For Deliverable 6.10.1.J – VBA Capacity Assessment and Gap Closure Report. The Contractor shall provide support, to OMB-Mandated Deliverables and Reports, which includes all phases of the evidence development and publication lifecycle including: the development and subsequent publication of learning agendas, evaluation plans, capacity assessments, gap analysis, and training development. As it pertains to supporting Capacity Assessments, can the Government clarify if the Offeror is analyzing existing data or if the Offeror is responsible for designing and conducting the studies to gather the necessary data to inform the Capacity Assessment and gap analysis report?

65. For Deliverable 6.10.1.J – VBA Capacity Assessment and Gap Closure Report. The Contractor shall provide support, to OMB-Mandated Deliverables and Reports, which includes all phases of the evidence development and publication lifecycle including: the development and subsequent publication of learning agendas, evaluation plans, capacity assessments, gap analysis, and training development. If the Contractor is not responsible for designing and conducting the studies to gather the Capacity Assessment and gap analysis data, is the design and conduct of the studies supported under the Research task area (6.9)?

Government Response: Too broad to provide a response.

66. For Deliverable 6.10.1.M – Evidence-based Policymaking and Budgeting Training Series. Is the Contractor responsible for developing instructor-led training courses? If so, can the Government provide an estimate on the how many courses need to be developed and the duration of each course?

67. For Deliverable 6.10.1.M – Evidence-based Policymaking and Budgeting Training Series. Regarding “hosting training sessions with stakeholders,” can the Government clarify if the Offeror is serving as the instructor/facilitator of the training?

68. For Deliverable 6.10.1.M – Evidence-based Policymaking and Budgeting Training Series. Can the Government provide an estimated number of training sessions per year?

69. For Deliverable 6.10.1.G – Capacity Assessment Scores. Can the Government clarify if the intention is to have the Contractor provide 240 Dashboards (that include capacity assessment scores and a status on existing studies)?

70. For Deliverable 6.10.1.I – VBA Annual Evaluation Plan. The Contractor shall support VBA programmatic evaluation and leadership with providing rapid, ad-hoc programmatic evaluations, ensuring training materials are developed and maintained, and hosting training sessions with stakeholders. The Contractor shall utilize the requirements identified by OMB to ensure that program evaluations are compliant with yearly deliverables. If the Government keeps CLIN 0010AJ as a quantity of 1, will the Government allow milestone billing? This enables the VOSB contractor to invoice during the period of performance as tasks are completed instead of waiting until the end of the POP to invoice.

Government Response: CLIN structure remains as is.

71. For Deliverable 6.10.1.I – VBA Annual Evaluation Plan. The Contractor shall support VBA programmatic evaluation and leadership with providing rapid, ad-hoc programmatic evaluations, ensuring training materials are developed and maintained, and hosting training sessions with stakeholders. The Contractor shall utilize the requirements identified by OMB to ensure that program evaluations are compliant with yearly deliverables. CLIN 0010AJ associated with 6.10.1.I is currently defined as a quantity of 1. Given that the associated tasks “rapid, ad-hoc programmatic evaluations,” “hosting training sessions with stakeholders,” “ensuring training materials are…maintained” are on-going tasks, would the Government consider adjusting CLIN 0010AJ to reflect the nature of the work with a quantity of 12 and a unit of Monthly?

72. The PWS is unclear in defining the specific meaning of "Quantity" for each deliverable. We request that the Government clearly define what constitutes a quantify for each contractual deliverable.

Government Response: The delivery schedule in the PWS provides explanation.

73. The specific scope and content requirements for task areas deliverables are unclear. We request that Government provide specific details regarding expected scope, content, and review/approval requirements for each deliverable listed in Section 10 of the PWS. specifics that define and clarify what each deliverable is in the PWS and how "Quantity" is defined in the RFQ for all areas and sub-areas of PWS Sections 6.3-6.11 and CLINS X001 through X011AC?

Government Response: All items noted in section 10 have deliverable areas listed within the PWS inclusive of scope and content.

74. For Deliverable 6.10.1.L (and CLIN 0010AM) – Evidence Gathering and Evaluations. The Government has identified a quantity of 520 and a unit of EA in the CLIN table, can the Government define what is considered 1 unit of Evidence Gathering and Evaluations?

Government Response: As defined on the requirements of the PWS.

75. For Deliverable 6.10.1.M – Evidence-based Policymaking and Budgeting Training Series. The PWS refers to “training development” and “hosting training sessions with stakeholders.” Can the Government clarify if this CLIN includes the development of training courses?

For 6.4.2.A of the PWS, will the Government provide specifics that define and clarify what this deliverable is in the PWS so that offerors can estimate the cost (i.e., what constitutes and audit unit of deliverable)?

Government Response: As defined on the requirements of the PWS.

76. For 6.4.3.A of the PWS, will the Government provide specifics that define and clarify what this deliverable is in the PWS so that offerors can estimate the cost (i.e., what constitutes an HR Policies, Procedures, and Guidance Recommendations unit of deliverable)?

Government Response: All development, review, and research associated with HR Policies, SOPs, guidance documents.

77. 6.4.3.B of the PWS states, the Contractor must possess previous federal General Schedule (GS) and Federal Wage System (FWS) classification experience and documented position classification training. The PWS requires that the contractor possess classification experience and documented position classification training. How do we define the quantity to submit an invoice? We recommend having the 'Quantity' be 12 and the unit be 'MO'.

Government Response: Deliverables are defined within the delivery schedule of the PWS, pers section.

78. For 6.5.1.D of the PWS, will the Government provide specifics that define and clarify what this deliverable is in the PWS so that offerors can estimate the cost (i.e., what constitutes a Background Investigations Tracking Tool deliverable)?

79. For 6.5.2.A of the PWS, will the Government provide specifics that define and clarify what this deliverable is in the PWS so that offerors can estimate the cost (i.e., what constitutes a Training and Data Entry deliverable)?

Government Response: Deliverables are defined within the delivery schedule of the PWS, pers section.

80. For 6.5.2.B of the PWS, will the Government provide specifics that define and clarify what this deliverable is in the PWS so that offerors can estimate the cost (i.e., what constitutes a Technical and Evaluation Duties deliverable)?

Government Response: Deliverables are defined within the delivery schedule of the PWS, pers section.

81. For 6.9.1.A of the PWS, will the Government provide specifics that define and clarify what this deliverable is in the PWS so that offerors can estimate the cost (i.e., what constitutes a Data Translation and Actionable Items deliverable)?

82. For 6.9.1.C of the PWS, will the Government provide specifics that define and clarify what this deliverable is in the PWS so that offerors can estimate the cost (i.e., what constitutes a Customer Survey quantity…is it the number of surveys or number of customers surveyed)?

83. For 6.9.1.D of the PWS, will the Government provide specifics that define and clarify what this deliverable is in the PWS so that offerors can estimate the cost (i.e., what constitutes a Customer-Focused Dashboard quantity…is it the number of reports or changes to the dashboard)?

84. For 6.9.1.E of the PWS, will the Government provide specifics that define and clarify what this deliverable is in the PWS so that offerors can estimate the cost (i.e., what constitutes a Data Collection Survey deliverable)?

85. 6.3.1.A deliverable specifies a quantity of 600 announces per year deliverable 6.11.1.C specifies a quantity of 260,000 certificates/applicant lists issued per year. This equates to an average of 433 referral lists per vacancy announcement. Please confirm whether the 6.11.1.C deliverable is specifying referral lists or the projected volume of referred candidates per year.

Government Response: 260K refers to the number of qualified applicants referred on certificates annually.

86. For 6.9.1.F of the PWS, will the Government provide specifics that define and clarify what this deliverable is in the PWS so that offerors can estimate the cost (i.e., what constitutes an Evaluation of Technologies and Cloud-based Communication Solutions deliverable)?

Government Response: All deliverables are defined, scope with defined quantity of deliverable in PWS.

87. For 6.10.1.G of the PWS, will the Government provide specifics that define and clarify what this deliverable is in the PWS so that offerors can estimate the cost (i.e., what constitutes an Evidence Act Business Intelligence Dashboard deliverable)?

88. For 6.10.1.L of the PWS, will the Government provide specifics that define and clarify what this deliverable is in the PWS so that offerors can estimate the cost (i.e., what constitutes an Evidence Gathering and Evaluation deliverable)?

Government Response: Deliverables are defined within the delivery schedule of the PWS, per section.

89. For 6.11.1.C of the PWS, how is this deliverable to be furnished for purposes of invoicing?

Government Response: As defined per the delivery schedule.

90. The required level of background investigation for contractor personnel is unclear. Section 13 includes the following statement which appears to be incomplete. "The position sensitivity and the level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access for the following tasks within the PWS are Tier 1 NACI". However, the list of "following tasks" is not provided. Section 13 Security states Tier 1 is required, but the PSS LCAT description states Tier 2 is required. The Key Personnel experience requirements for the Personnel Security Specialist includes the requirement for experience for NBIS up to Tier 5 - for which the contractor would need T5 background investigation to perform. We request that the Government provide the specific level of back ground investigation required for each PWS Task Area and LCAT.

Government Response: The position sensitivity and the level of background investigation commensurate with the required level of access for the following tasks within the PWS are Tier 1 NACI as defined within the PWS page 25.

91. The PWS also still states that the vendor will have to pay for the investigations, is this is a NISP contract and will there be a DD254 issued? Or will this be a direct billing from VA to the vendor? Vendors will not be able to initiate eAPP's without a DD254 and billing and routing information for request.

Government Response: No DD254 needed. T1 level background checks per PWS.

92. Section E.6 states that the Government anticipates awarding a firm-fixed-price contract (FFP) resulting from this solicitation and Schedule B - Pricing requests pricing per unit which is consistent with a FFP contract. However, the PWS includes mandatory minimum staffing levels for some task areas which contains offerors from solely determining staffing plans and staffing levels to deliver the required services and deliverables under a FFP. Will the Government consider removing mandatory minimum staffing levels for this FFP contract?

Government Response: No

93. Section E.6 states that the Government anticipates awarding a FFP contract resulting from this solicitation. However, Section B.3 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE includes "estimated quantities" for many of the CLINs. Please clarify whether the contract resulting from the solicitation will establish a total annual FFP for each CLIN or rather a "per unit" FFP associated with the delivery of one (1) one unit of the estimated quantity. If the Government expects to establish a total annual FFP for each CLIN, please confirm that Offerors should invoice 1/12 of the annual FFP each month. If the resulting contract establishing a "per unit" FFP for each CLIN, please provide clear guidance regarding the process that Offerors should follow for monthly invoicing for units delivered each month.

Government Response: FFP per CLIN per unit. Travel will be reimbursable.

94. Section E.6 states that the Government anticipates awarding a firm-fixed-price contract (FFP) resulting from this solicitation. However, there is insufficient detail in the PWS regarding the scope of deliverables or specific task requirements for Offerors to prepare FFP quotes. We request that the Government provide details regarding the scope and expectations for each deliverable and task area to enable Offerors to prepare FFP quotes -- OR change the contract type to Time and Materials or Labor Hour.

Government Response: This is a FFP contract.

95. In Technical Subfactor Two it states, "a) Providing support in the review and processing of OPM and VA job announcements, processing referral lists, assisting in the entire hiring process, and the processing of security investigations (all aspects)." Will the Government evaluate experience providing all of these services to other agencies as well or is the Government seeking only offerors who have provided these services to both OPM and VA as written?

Government Response: VA is seeking personnel with Title 5 talent acquisition experience.

96. The Government lists 5 Parts for the proposal. Does the Government intend for each Part to be a separate volume/file?

97. The Proposal Submission Checklist requires 12 pt TRN font. Would the Government confirm smaller but legible font is allowed for graphics, tables, headers/footers, etc.?

Government Response: Yes. 10 font for graphics, headers/tables. Footer.

98. For Subfactor Two: Capability/Experience it states, "The Offeror shall show a minimum of five (5) years of experience relating to: " Is the Government requesting project experience showing five years of collective experience performing all tasks or for five years of experience demonstrated for each discrete task?

Government Response: VA is seeking personnel with a minimum of 5 years of talent acquisition experience related to Title 5 staffing.

99. In the Technical Subfactor One: Technical Approach, the Government has asked the offeror to response to a 25 page PWS plus provide an Offerors staffing approach in 10 pages. Would the Government extend the page count for the Technical Subfactor One: Technical Approach to 20 pages?

Government Response: Technical Subfactor One: Technical Approach page limit is now 15 pages.

100. Part IV - Price. This section states that Offerors must complete an "attached Price Schedule" in its entirety. However, the solicitation does not include a Pricing Schedule attachment. Please provide the referenced Price Schedule attachment and provide detailed instructions for completing the Price Schedule.

Government Response: Please see B.3 Price/Cost Schedule in the solicitation starting on page 6.

101. The CLIN structure will generate a lot of work for the Government and contractor to manage. Will the Government provide details regarding the process for deliverable review and acceptance to include authorized approver(s), expectations for furnishing each "Quantity", timeframes for approval, invoice approvals, etc.? Several of the CLINS have high volumes defined under "Quantity" and we anticipate a high level of effort on Government and Contractor staff to accomplish delivery and acceptance of deliverables and invoices.

Government Response: The schedule of deliverables is outlined in section 10.

102. Part III - Past Performance. What is the average annual price for the VBA contract requirement that Offerors should use in deterring similar size and complexity for past performance projects?

Government Response: IGCE is procurement sensitive.

103. Part III - Past Performance requires the submission of PPQs directly from the offeror's clients to the CO. As such, what - if anything - is required to be submitted in this volume?

Government Response: The Government is requesting up to three PPQ’s.

104. Part IV - Price: Offerors must complete the attached Price Schedule in its entirety. Will the Government confirm the only requirement for this volume is the information in Section B.3 of the solicitation?

Government Response: This is correct.

105. What does the Government require for offer validity period?

Government Response: The solicitation defines are requirements for submission.

106. The solicitation states that the Government shall evaluate price to determine whether or not it is considered fair and reasonable in accordance with FAR Part 15.404-1(b) procedures. However, the structure of Section B.3 PRICE/COST SCHEDULE is not sufficient for the Government to evaluate proposed price/cost information for fairness and reasonable because Offerors are not required to provide staffing plans and basis of estimates for pricing. Without requiring offerors to provide a Staffing Plan to Government has no basis to evaluate the potential performance risk associated with proposed price/cost. We recommend that the Government modify the solicitation requirements to require that Offerors propose a Staffing Plan on which their proposed pricing is based to enable the Government to review price/cost for fairness and reasonableness.

Government Response: Staffing plan is required part of your submission.

107. 6.2.2 – Staffing Plan, 6.2.3 Comms Plan, 6.2.6 QCP are currently listed as monthly deliverables in the CLIN table. Given the nature of the tasks, would the Government consider shifting this to a single deliverable with a CLIN for monthly updates, similar to the PMP CLIN?

Government Response: No

108. When does the Government plan to award the contract?

Government Response: Period of performance effective date is 09/23/2024

109. Does the Government have funding set aside for this contract?

110. The Government attached a Wage Determination (WD) and includes the Service Contract Act (SCA) clause. Is it up to the vendor to determine the applicability of the SCA and WD?

Government Response: The Service Contract Labor Standards applies to this procurement.

111. If it is up to offerors to propose SCA-mapped positions, in what format should we provide that information, in what proposal volume, and how will it be evaluated?

Government Response: Submission guidelines are defined within the PWS. Evaluation factors are defined within PWS.

112. How will the Government plan evaluate equitable adjustments in accordance with SCA WD updates in accordance with the CLIN structure outlined in B.3 Price/Cost Schedule?

Government Response: The government does not understand the question to be able to provide response. Best response would be on a case by case basis.

Government Response: 10

Government Response: The Government is requesting up to three Past Performance Questionnaires.

Q115: Is there an opportunity for the government to amend that requirement to allow offerors to submit past performance that was performed as a subcontractor?

Government Response: One PPQ must be from the Prime Contractor.

Q116: Can you confirm how often the hiring events will occur? For example, if the quantity is 12, is the anticipation to hold a hiring event once every month?

Government Response: Travel for hiring events is required up to 50% per month.

Q117: If the contractor shall travel up to 50% of the time, can you confirm if the travel is to occur 6 months out of the year?

Government Response: The 50% travel requirement will occur 12 months out of the year.

Q118: Does section 6.11.1 encompass the JOAs posted in section 6.3.1, or are these in addition to the applicant qualifications performed in section 6.3.1?

Government Response: All items under section 6 are encompassed.

Q119: Is the JOA estimate based on 600 positions in a base period, or 600 JOAs that cover concurrent and/or open continuous announcements and bundled recruitments? Section 10 states 600 “EA” what does EA stand for?

Government Response: 600 JOAs. EA = each.

Q120: For task area 6.11.1, the SOD states a quantity of 260,000 (5,000 weekly) completed applicant certifications/referral lists. Can you confirm this quantity is an average or actual number of certificates for VBA or is this quantity intended to be the estimated number of applicants to review for qualifications? If the quantity is certificates, what is VBA’s average number of applicants received? (per JOA, monthly, or yearly)

Government Response: Quantity is confirmed. Approximately 260K applicants are referred annually.

Q121: Is Section 7 SOD specific to task areas 6.3 and 6.11 or all task areas?

Government Response: The Schedule of Deliverables outlined in section 7 encompasses section 6 task areas.

We note in 6.3.1, “The Contractor shall work with HCS staff, as well as with subject matter experts (SMEs)/hiring officials, to assist in developing and posting Job Opportunity Announcements (JOA) in USA Staffing inclusive of developing crediting plans and job analyses; determining applicant eligibility; generating certificates of eligible candidates; extending tentative and official job offers; initiating background investigations; and maintaining merit case files in accordance with the Office of Personnel Managements (OPM) Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping.”

Q122: Are there any other system(s) in addition to USA Staffing that VBA will utilize to perform this work?

Government Response: No.

We note in 6.3.1, “The Contractor shall work with HCS staff, as well as with subject matter experts (SMEs)/hiring officials, to assist in developing and posting Job Opportunity Announcements (JOA) in USA Staffing inclusive of developing crediting plans and job…